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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: ground · present · mug · press · craft · file · stand · squash

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. file — a document
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — a face
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — to push
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — there
  21. mug — to rob
  22. file — a tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. ground — a position

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