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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — of water
  3. net — for catching
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — after costs
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — to eat
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chest — a box
  18. stand — to bear
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — in sport

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