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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — for sport
  4. root — the cause
  5. court — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. field — farmland
  8. content — happy
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of a king
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. field — a subject
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — the amount
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — a price
  23. press — newspapers
  24. root — of a word

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