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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. press — to push
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. net — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — after costs
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a hint
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cue — a signal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — a container
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — newspapers
  24. nail — on a finger

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