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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: press · plane · key · kick · pitcher · straw · rock · pound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — in football
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. press — to push
  16. key — in music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. key — for a lock
  24. straw — a straw man

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