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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. 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. cue — for pool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — army training
  6. fine — high quality
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bore — to tire
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. press — to push
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. drill — the tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. press — newspapers
  24. 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