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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kid — to tease
  6. field — for sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. press — to push
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. field — farmland
  11. kid — child
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — the amount
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bulb — for light
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. content — happy
  20. press — newspapers
  21. suit — clothes
  22. field — a subject
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pit — in a race

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