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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. field — farmland
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kid — to tease
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. field — a subject
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. content — happy
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — the animal
  23. field — for sport
  24. wake — a trail

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