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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pop — soda
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — to visit
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. row — a line
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. board — a committee
  11. pop — music
  12. key — in music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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