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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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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: key · ball · ground · dip · chest · fine · content · press

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ball — a great time
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. press — newspapers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. key — in music
  13. press — to push
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chest — a box
  18. ground — a position
  19. fine — all right
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. dip — a sauce

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