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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. press — to push
  3. march — the month
  4. content — the amount
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — the arms race
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. race — humankind
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. content — happy
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. race — a contest
  23. march — music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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