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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. branch — a division
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — a jug

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