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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. face — to point toward
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — a skill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — a position
  17. press — a publisher
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — a container
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. press — to push
  24. craft — boats

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