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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bass — the fish
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kick — in football
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. key — for a lock
  9. board — to get on
  10. firm — a company
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — steady
  13. chest — a box
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. board — a committee
  19. press — to push
  20. pound — a weight
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — low music
  24. board — a flat piece

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