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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: ground · bowl · press · stand · roll · nail · temple · tube

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — crushed
  3. roll — a list
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ground — a position
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tube — a container
  16. roll — a cake
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — the underground
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ground — the earth

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