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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — to push
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cue — a signal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. press — a publisher
  12. spring — of water
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — happy
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spring — the season

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