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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: race · ground · stock · pop · press · cabinet · sharp · stand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — soda
  3. ground — a position
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. race — a contest
  10. press — a publisher
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pop — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stock — goods
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cabinet — ministers

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