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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. press — to push
  8. stand — to bear
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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