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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — low music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. land — ground
  6. content — the amount
  7. land — a country
  8. cue — for pool
  9. press — to push
  10. branch — a division
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stem — to come from
  13. land — to come down
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cue — a hint
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. content — happy
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — the instrument

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