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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 · mark · press · land · pop · craft · ball · hide

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. craft — boats
  2. land — a country
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pop — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — soda
  9. content — happy
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — to come down
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — ground
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — to push
  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