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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: press · ground · stock · root · hand · bound · coach · stand

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — help
  6. root — of a word
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stock — shares
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stock — goods
  20. bound — certain
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — tied together
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — for spectators

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