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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 116 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: stand · chip · drill · file · mine · pitch · press · can

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chip — for betting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. file — a tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. file — a document
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. drill — army training
  21. file — a line of people
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. can — a tin

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