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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. club — a group
  4. tear — to rip
  5. scale — size or range
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tear — from crying
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. key — for a lock
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. club — for golf
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. scale — in 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