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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. key — the most important part
  3. march — the month
  4. press — a publisher
  5. key — for a lock
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — clothes
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — to get on
  11. land — ground
  12. press — newspapers
  13. board — a committee
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a great time
  16. suit — to fit
  17. key — in music
  18. press — to push
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. ball — a dance
  24. march — music

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