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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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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: fall · bowl · mark · ground · press · key · stand · chip

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fall — the season
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stand — to bear
  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