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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — to bear
  6. clip — a video
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a word
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — certain
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. root — the cause
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. root — of a plant
  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