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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. swing — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — of water
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — to bear
  10. scale — size or range
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — to push
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spring — the season
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. press — a publisher
  21. swing — to play on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. spring — a coil
  24. leaves — 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