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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — in music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. swing — to play on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. court — of law
  12. swing — in golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — of a king
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — a division
  22. swing — music
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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