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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. shower — rain
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. board — to get on
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. press — to push
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — newspapers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. board — a committee
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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