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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 120 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: safe · current · content · ball · drill · spell · press · pitch

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — army training
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. current — electric
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spell — magic
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — of water
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — a short time
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. ball — a great time

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