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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · field · leaves · jam · vault · present · press · content

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — a gift
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. field — farmland
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — the fruit
  18. field — for sport
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. content — happy
  23. field — a subject
  24. jam — in traffic

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