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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: mark · last · date · roll · press · content · game · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — happy
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mark — a trace
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — to go on
  11. roll — a list
  12. date — the fruit
  13. game — a match
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. net — in sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. content — the amount
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. net — after costs
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — final
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mark — a grade

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