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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. press — newspapers
  3. track — a path
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — to rob
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. kid — to tease
  10. track — to keep track
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — the amount
  17. land — a country
  18. roll — a list
  19. land — ground
  20. track — a song
  21. land — to come down
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — child
  24. content — videos and posts

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