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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitch — completely
  3. content — the amount
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — a publisher
  6. dip — to sink
  7. content — happy
  8. drill — a practice
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. last — final
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — to go on
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. last — finally
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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