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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.

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: swing · spell · firm · press · degree · content · leaves · chip

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. firm — steady
  3. swing — in golf
  4. content — the amount
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — a short time
  8. firm — decided
  9. spell — letters
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — an amount
  12. swing — to play on
  13. degree — from a university
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. firm — a company
  21. spell — magic
  22. degree — temperature
  23. content — happy
  24. press — a publisher

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