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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: bound · chip · ground · stick · sharp · press · present · stand

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. press — newspapers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — the time now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — to push
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — a position
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bound — obliged
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — certain
  24. ground — crushed

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