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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — a phone
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — the amount
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. press — to push
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. scale — in music
  17. content — happy
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cell — in a prison

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