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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. press — to push
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. capital — money
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. capital — a city

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