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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. field — a subject
  3. content — the amount
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. drill — army training
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a face
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. field — for sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chest — a box
  23. ball — a great time
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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