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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 · stand · mate · press · mine · fine · stem · can

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. press — to push
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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