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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — for sport
  3. pit — in a race
  4. race — humankind
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — farmland
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. field — a subject
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. press — to push
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — the arms race
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rest — a break
  23. press — a publisher
  24. race — a contest

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