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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — size or range
  4. key — the most important part
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. roll — a list
  8. scale — in music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — to push
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. last — final
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — to sink
  18. last — finally
  19. key — in music
  20. last — to go on
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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