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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. press — to push
  5. current — electric
  6. season — of the year
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. game — a match
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. press — a publisher
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — of water
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — a trainer
  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