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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · craft · field · pop · content · vault · press · tube

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — music
  4. press — to push
  5. vault — a safe
  6. craft — boats
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. present — there
  10. content — happy
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — a skill
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. present — a gift
  16. content — the amount
  17. tube — a container
  18. field — farmland
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pop — soda
  22. field — for sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. field — a subject

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