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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. content — the amount
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. scale — in music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — to visit
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. pop — music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. content — happy
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. press — to push
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pop — soda

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