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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — for catching
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. firm — decided
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — in sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. firm — a company
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. cap — a hat
  18. net — after costs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — of ice
  22. press — to push
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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