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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — for a lock
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — thin
  10. rest — a break
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — the most important part
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. key — in 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