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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — the most important part
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — in sport
  8. press — to push
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. key — in music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. capital — money
  20. net — for catching
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. net — after costs
  24. swing — in golf

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