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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 120 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: sharp · fan · pound · cap · ground · rest · stand · press

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cap — a hat
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — crushed
  9. sharp — clever
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — a break
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ground — a position
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rest — what's left

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