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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.

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: season · bass · content · race · present · bore · staff · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. content — happy
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — the amount
  5. present — a gift
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. race — humankind
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. press — a publisher
  10. staff — a stick
  11. race — a contest
  12. present — there
  13. bass — the fish
  14. season — of the year
  15. present — the time now
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. season — in sport
  21. press — to push
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bore — to drill
  24. staff — employees

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