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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: ruler · game · press · ground · kick · drill · chair · bank

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — the earth
  7. press — newspapers
  8. drill — army training
  9. game — a match
  10. chair — a leader
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bank — for money
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. kick — in football
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — a position
  20. press — to push
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ground — crushed
  24. kick — a thrill

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