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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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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: cabinet · cap · mark · press · content · stand · deal · leaves

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. content — happy
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — of ice
  9. content — the amount
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stand — to bear
  18. press — a publisher
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cap — a lid
  22. press — newspapers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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