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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — to push
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rash — a series
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. capital — money
  17. cell — a phone
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cap — a hat
  23. capital — a city
  24. pound — to hit hard

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