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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rock — a stone
  4. court — of law
  5. pop — to visit
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pop — soda
  8. drill — the tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — army training
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. press — a publisher
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — to push
  18. game — a match
  19. court — of a king
  20. object — to protest
  21. drill — a practice
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rock — music
  24. court — for sport

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