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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: stand · fork · content · can · wax · deal · press · ground

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. press — to push
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. content — happy
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. can — to be able to
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wax — in the ear

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