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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spell — letters
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chair — a leader
  8. track — a song
  9. content — the amount
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — to be able to
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. can — a tin
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spell — a short time
  21. track — to keep track
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — a tin

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