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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — newspapers
  5. object — an aim
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — a committee
  8. content — happy
  9. can — to be able to
  10. scale — in music
  11. degree — temperature
  12. board — to get on
  13. degree — an amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. object — to protest
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. object — a thing
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. can — a tin

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