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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.

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: chip · cell · press · stand · ground · roll · ruler · bound

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cell — a phone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — crushed
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ground — a position
  18. roll — a list
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bound — tied together
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ground — the earth

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