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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: dip · lie · scale · content · coach · pop · press · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — newspapers
  5. content — happy
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — the amount
  8. pop — soda
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. season — of the year
  14. press — a publisher
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — to push

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