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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ball — a dance
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a great time
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — soda
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. press — to push
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. content — happy
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. content — the amount

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