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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. board — to get on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bass — low music
  7. content — the amount
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — to drill
  11. press — to push
  12. rash — hasty
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. board — a committee
  15. court — for sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. court — of a king
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the fish
  24. court — of law

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