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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: mark · stand · press · roll · craft · spell · land · tube

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. land — ground
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. press — to push
  8. stand — to bear
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tube — the underground
  12. roll — a list
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. craft — boats
  15. land — to come down
  16. craft — a skill
  17. land — a country
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — magic
  20. mark — a trace
  21. roll — a cake
  22. tube — a container
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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