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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: press · capital · roll · stand · coach · staff · ground · current

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. capital — money
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. current — electric
  11. staff — employees
  12. capital — a city
  13. stand — to bear
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ground — a position
  17. current — happening now
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — a stick
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. press — to push
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — a publisher
  24. current — of water

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