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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: hand · ruler · pitch · club · press · board · degree · key

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for golf
  5. press — to push
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hand — in cards
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — a committee
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitch — completely
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — to get on
  22. degree — an amount
  23. club — a group
  24. key — in music

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