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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — the most important part
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. tube — a container
  8. press — a publisher
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. key — in music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. tube — the underground
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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