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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · march · ruler · content · press · squash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — the sport
  3. content — happy
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — the amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. squash — to crush
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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