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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — certain
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — to bear
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cold — not warm
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. bound — tied together
  12. row — a line
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cold — an illness
  22. press — a publisher
  23. deal — an agreement
  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