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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. club — for golf
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. press — newspapers
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — to bear
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — the most important part
  18. game — a match
  19. press — a publisher
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. drill — army training
  23. press — to push
  24. wind — moving air

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