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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
468
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: court · field · jam · stand · mug · club · press · arm

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. club — a group
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mug — a face
  5. club — for dancing
  6. court — of a king
  7. field — for sport
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. field — a subject
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. press — to push
  15. mug — a cup
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mug — to rob
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for golf
  23. court — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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