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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. firm — a company
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cell — in biology
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cell — a phone
  8. press — newspapers
  9. firm — steady
  10. press — to push
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. last — to go on
  14. firm — decided
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. last — final
  24. fork — in a road

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