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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. press — a publisher
  3. key — in music
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. club — a group
  7. key — the most important part
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cold — an illness
  11. roll — a cake
  12. key — for a lock
  13. craft — boats
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cold — not warm
  19. press — to push
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitch — completely

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