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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 · roll · cap · lean · mate · court · pop · press

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cap — of ice
  6. court — of law
  7. cap — a lid
  8. court — of a king
  9. press — to push
  10. lean — thin
  11. mate — a friend
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — to bear
  15. roll — a list
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pop — soda
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cap — a hat
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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