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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — the animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. press — a publisher
  8. present — there
  9. firm — steady
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. deal — to handle
  12. present — the time now
  13. firm — decided
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mark — a trace
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. firm — a company
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — for digging
  24. press — to push

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