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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: stand · bay · content · hand · track · press · pitcher · rule

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — a law
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. press — a publisher
  6. content — the amount
  7. track — a song
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — a path
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — in cards
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rule — government
  17. stand — to bear
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. content — happy
  24. hand — help

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