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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stand — to bear
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — shares
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — a gift
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — in football
  20. press — newspapers
  21. can — to be able to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kick — a thrill

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