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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. press — to push
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mine — for digging
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — completely
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stand — for spectators

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