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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — in sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. season — of the year
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. capital — money
  16. bat — the animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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