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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — the time now
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stand — to bear
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — a price
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — a gift
  16. content — happy
  17. present — there
  18. stand — for spectators

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