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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spring — a coil
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ball — a great time
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. spring — of water
  24. stand — for spectators

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