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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. press — a publisher
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — the sport
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. press — to push
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. key — in music
  24. rash — on the skin

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