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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — the most important part
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — in music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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