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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. squash — the sport
  16. current — electric
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. current — of water
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — in a tire

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