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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: track · cap · stand · press · field · ground · content · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. content — the amount
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. field — for sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. track — a song
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. track — to keep track
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. field — farmland
  13. track — a path
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. field — a subject
  17. craft — boats
  18. content — happy
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ground — a position
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ground — crushed
  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