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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. field — a subject
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — a publisher
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — the amount
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — newspapers
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — obliged
  18. dip — to sink
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — certain
  24. safe — out of danger

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