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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — to push
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bank — of a river
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — a committee
  16. capital — money
  17. board — to get on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. press — newspapers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. capital — a big letter

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