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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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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pound — a weight
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. club — for dancing
  13. clip — for paper
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. press — to push
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. clip — a video

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