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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. press — to push
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — in a race
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. snap — to click
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — moving air

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