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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — in music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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