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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. press — to push
  5. chest — a box
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. root — the cause
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — newspapers
  13. season — in sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. season — of the year
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fine — all right
  24. bark — of a tree

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