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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: cap · rule · march · key · arm · game · stand · staff

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. march — the month
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. staff — employees
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cap — a lid
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — a stick
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — in music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cap — a hat

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