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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — a group
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — to push
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ground — a position
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stand — to bear
  23. club — for golf
  24. bound — obliged

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