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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. press — to push
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. firm — decided
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — boats
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — clever
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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