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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. present — there
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pop — to visit
  7. charge — in control
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. charge — a price
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. drill — a practice
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — a publisher
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — army training
  24. trunk — of a car

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