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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — completely
  4. key — the most important part
  5. row — to paddle
  6. game — a match
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — a publisher
  12. key — for a lock
  13. scale — in music
  14. row — a line
  15. present — a gift
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. present — the time now
  18. key — in music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. press — to push
  23. present — there
  24. game — wild animals

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