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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — in music
  4. press — to push
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — newspapers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rock — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. press — a publisher
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. craft — boats
  20. key — for a lock
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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