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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: pound · season · stand · hand · press · cap · saw · rush

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. hand — help
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — of the year
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cap — of ice
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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