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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: rule · content · cap · tear · mug · suit · press · foot

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rule — a law
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. content — happy
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mug — a cup
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mug — a face
  14. rule — government
  15. content — the amount
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — clothes
  19. press — to push
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — newspapers
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cap — a lid

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