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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — size or range
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pop — music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — in music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — a publisher
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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