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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mine — for digging
  6. field — a subject
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. press — to push
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — for sport
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. field — farmland
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — belonging to me

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