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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: stick · tube · pit · plane · arm · press · rock · content

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. press — a publisher
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. content — happy
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tube — a container
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — newspapers
  24. content — videos and posts

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