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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: rash · ball · object · race · press · trunk · content · land

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. land — to come down
  3. rash — a series
  4. content — happy
  5. land — ground
  6. race — humankind
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — hasty
  9. land — a country
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. content — the amount
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — a publisher
  14. object — to protest
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — to push
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a great time
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — an aim

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