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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — newspapers
  5. craft — boats
  6. fork — in a road
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. field — for sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — finally
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. craft — a skill
  19. field — farmland
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  24. fork — to eat with

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