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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — a publisher
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. key — in music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. drill — army training
  13. suit — clothes
  14. drill — a practice
  15. scale — size or range
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — newspapers
  18. drill — the tool
  19. race — a contest
  20. suit — to fit
  21. firm — a company
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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