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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. press — a publisher
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. plane — a tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kid — to tease
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. content — happy
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. press — to push
  20. content — the amount
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pitch — completely
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kid — child

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