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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. content — the amount
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cap — a hat
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pop — soda
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. content — happy
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cold — not warm
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pop — music
  18. scale — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cold — an illness

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