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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: cue · drill · lean · current · press · stick · firm · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a signal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — decided
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. firm — steady
  8. press — newspapers
  9. firm — a company
  10. lean — thin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — of water
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cue — for pool
  16. current — happening now
  17. drill — army training
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ground — the earth

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