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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stand — to bear
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. land — to come down
  8. press — a publisher
  9. land — a country
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. press — to push
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — from a university
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — newspapers
  16. plane — a tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — temperature
  20. land — ground
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. degree — an amount
  23. drill — the tool
  24. jam — a tight spot

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