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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. deal — to handle
  4. roll — a cake
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. content — happy
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — the season
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spring — of water
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. press — to push
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. content — the amount
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com