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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 · bat · mark · stand · shower · root · chip · sharp

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. press — a publisher
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — to wash
  16. press — to push
  17. root — the cause
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. root — of a word
  24. chip — in a computer

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