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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. key — in music
  7. press — to push
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. press — newspapers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cell — in biology
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — for golf
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — a group
  24. press — a publisher

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