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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: stand · press · mark · pitch · cabinet · sharp · hand · land

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. land — ground
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hand — help
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. press — to push
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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