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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — in music
  7. field — a subject
  8. fine — high quality
  9. club — for golf
  10. field — farmland
  11. press — newspapers
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spring — the season
  14. swing — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fine — all right
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. field — for sport
  20. club — a group
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — to push
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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