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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 · can · field · band · dip · press · nail · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. press — newspapers
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a ring
  9. dip — to sink
  10. content — the amount
  11. field — for sport
  12. press — to push
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — happy
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — a subject
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. band — a music group
  22. field — farmland
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. press — a publisher

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