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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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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: current · ruler · ground · fork · stand · pound · press · key

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — the earth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pound — a weight
  11. press — to push
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. key — in music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ground — a position
  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