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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · stand · game · chair · vault · pass · bear · press

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. press — to push
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pass — a permit

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