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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. press — a publisher
  7. present — the time now
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. band — a ring
  16. content — the amount
  17. cue — a hint
  18. band — a music group
  19. field — a subject
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. field — farmland
  23. press — newspapers
  24. band — a rubber band

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