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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — an injury
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — low music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. last — final
  15. key — in music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. swing — music
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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