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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · pit · sharp · press · track · bat · bear · stand

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pit — in a race
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — a song
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. track — a path
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. track — to keep track

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