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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. press — a publisher
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — low music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. key — in music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — army training
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bulb — for light

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