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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. staff — employees
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — to tire
  9. press — to push
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. firm — a company
  12. content — the amount
  13. press — newspapers
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — a publisher
  18. squash — the sport
  19. staff — a stick
  20. squash — to crush
  21. content — happy
  22. staff — employees
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stand — to bear

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