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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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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — the amount
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — to push
  9. content — happy
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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