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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. press — to push
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. present — there
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. game — a match
  17. race — a contest
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — humankind
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. press — newspapers

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