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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a ring
  3. press — a publisher
  4. content — happy
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — in a race
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. present — the time now
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. present — a gift
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. content — the amount
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cue — for pool
  19. file — a document
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — a hole
  22. track — a song
  23. press — to push
  24. content — videos and posts

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