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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 · key · ruler · press · wind · game

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a match
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. key — in music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — a publisher
  15. key — for a lock
  16. press — to push
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — newspapers

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