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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. press — newspapers
  3. last — to go on
  4. content — the amount
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. band — a ring
  13. clip — for paper
  14. content — happy
  15. last — final
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — to push
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. clip — a video
  24. rock — music

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