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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bank — for money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tube — a container
  8. press — newspapers
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — to get on
  12. content — the amount
  13. pit — a hole
  14. board — a committee
  15. press — to push
  16. stand — to bear
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fall — to drop

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