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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. press — to push
  4. scale — in music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bat — the animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tube — a container
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. squash — the sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. craft — boats

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