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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stand — to bear
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — a line
  5. net — for catching
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. ground — crushed
  14. row — to paddle
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. net — in sport
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — after costs
  24. suit — clothes

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