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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: game · swing · dip · object · land · can · press · stand

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. can — to be able to
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. object — to protest
  6. swing — music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. press — to push
  10. dip — to sink
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. game — a match
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — a thing
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — ground
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stand — to bear
  23. game — wild animals
  24. land — a country

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