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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · content · press · track · craft · toast · cabinet · race

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. content — happy
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — a song
  5. toast — bread
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — for catching
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. craft — a skill
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. track — a path
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — a contest
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. craft — boats

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