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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 · last · land · root · craft · press · cap · toast

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. last — final
  3. land — a country
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. land — to come down
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. last — to go on
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. cap — of ice
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. content — the amount
  20. land — ground
  21. root — the cause
  22. press — to push
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — a lid

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