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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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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: press · coach · sharp · fine · clip · content

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. clip — for paper
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. press — newspapers
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. press — to push
  11. content — happy
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fine — high quality
  14. clip — a video
  15. sharp — clever
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — a publisher
  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