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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. press — a publisher
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rash — a series
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — a line
  9. mark — a grade
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. press — newspapers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. content — the amount
  18. rash — hasty
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. roll — a list
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — a trace
  24. content — happy

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