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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: content · press · track · mark · kid · bear · mouse · pitch

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. press — newspapers
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. content — the amount
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. track — a path
  16. pitch — completely
  17. content — happy
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kid — child
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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