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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: pound · key · present · wind · stick · ruler

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — a gift
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — the time now
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — there
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. key — the most important part

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