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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. content — the amount
  6. press — a publisher
  7. field — farmland
  8. content — happy
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitch — completely
  14. drill — a practice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. field — for sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. press — to push
  24. pitch — a sports field

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