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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. capital — money
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — a city
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cell — in biology
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — moving air
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wind — moving air
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. swing — music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stand — on your feet

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