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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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Word bank
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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: press · mouse · fine · suit · last · toast · pound · stand

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. toast — bread
  3. last — finally
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. last — final
  11. press — to push
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. press — a publisher
  21. last — to go on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — newspapers

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