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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 120 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: press · kick · stick · rock · craft · cue · march · game

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. craft — boats
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. march — music
  10. press — to push
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kick — in football
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — 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