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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: wind · game · ball · press · toast · object · craft · stick

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. object — a thing
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wind — moving air
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ball — a great time
  8. toast — bread
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — an aim
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ball — a dance
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wind — moving air
  20. game — a match
  21. press — a publisher
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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