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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ground · sharp · land · chair · can · cabinet · press

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — a country
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — a publisher
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — a position
  24. stand — to bear

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