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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. key — for a lock
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pop — soda
  8. track — to keep track
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — to push
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. key — the most important part
  14. track — a path
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. press — newspapers
  23. track — a song
  24. capital — money

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