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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. press — a publisher
  4. roll — a cake
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — newspapers
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a great time
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. key — in music
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ball — a dance
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — a list
  18. track — a path
  19. deal — to handle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. press — to push
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. safe — out of danger

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