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

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. staff — a stick
  3. content — the amount
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. staff — employees
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — the arms race
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. present — a gift
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — there
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. press — to push
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. race — humankind
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — the time now

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