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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. vault — a safe
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chip — to eat
  9. content — happy
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. key — in music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. key — the most important part
  18. press — to push
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chip — for betting

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