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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — help
  3. drill — the tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — newspapers
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — a gift
  18. firm — decided
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. firm — steady
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. present — the time now

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