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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — high quality
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. capital — money
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fine — all right
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. content — happy
  18. cap — of ice
  19. capital — a city
  20. vault — a safe
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cap — a hat

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