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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · season · field · kid · cabinet · key · game · press

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kid — child
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. field — a subject
  5. key — in music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — to push
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — in sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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