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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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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: mark · toast · fine · mouse · press · march · content · kid

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. march — music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — all right
  12. kid — child
  13. press — to push
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. toast — bread
  22. press — newspapers
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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