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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: bound · bark · press · pit · content · temple · field · squash

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. press — newspapers
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. pit — a hole
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — to push
  14. pit — in a race
  15. content — the amount
  16. squash — the sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. field — farmland
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. squash — to crush

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