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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — to push
  5. suit — clothes
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — decided
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. suit — to fit
  11. court — of a king
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. court — of law
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. firm — steady
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — a company
  21. press — newspapers
  22. court — for sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  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