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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. key — in music
  3. capital — money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spring — of water
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spring — the season
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. key — for a lock
  19. press — to push
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a city
  22. spring — a coil
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mouse — for a computer

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