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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: bat · sharp · stand · game · nail · content · press · leaves

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — newspapers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — clever
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — to bear
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. content — happy
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bat — the animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. bat — in an idiom

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