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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
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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: press · spell · kid · mug · pop · content · court · bay

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kid — to tease
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — newspapers
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. spell — magic
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. court — of a king
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — happy
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — a cup
  18. press — to push
  19. mug — a face
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — the amount
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. kid — child

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