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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — to push
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. firm — a company
  8. present — there
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — a gift
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — the time now
  15. press — a publisher
  16. firm — decided
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cell — in biology
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — for pool

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