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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — in cards
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — to push
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. suit — clothes
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. track — a path
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. press — a publisher
  15. dip — to sink
  16. key — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. suit — to fit
  24. key — for a lock

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