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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 116 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: game · rock · stand · prune · bound · object · press · drill

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bound — certain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. object — to protest
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — newspapers
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — wild animals
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — an aim
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — music
  24. press — a publisher

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