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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. press — to push
  9. foot — a measure
  10. key — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a great time
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ball — a dance
  24. press — newspapers

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