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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. degree — an amount
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fine — high quality
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — in a race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fine — all right
  22. press — to push
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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