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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mug — a face
  3. firm — a company
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. firm — steady
  9. date — the fruit
  10. firm — decided
  11. content — happy
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hand — help
  14. mug — a cup
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — hurry

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