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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: content · stick · press · ball · date · club · wax · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. club — a group
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. press — a publisher
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. club — for dancing
  8. content — happy
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. press — newspapers
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — to grow
  18. date — the fruit
  19. press — to push
  20. content — the amount
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — for golf
  23. ball — a great time
  24. date — on the calendar

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