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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — the time now
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hand — help
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. press — newspapers
  19. present — a gift
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. present — there
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. press — to push

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