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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 · foot · pass · pitch · lash · field · press · mark

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. pitch — completely
  3. field — for sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. field — farmland
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — to push
  11. content — the amount
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. content — happy
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. press — newspapers
  23. foot — part of the body
  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