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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — boats
  17. clip — to cut
  18. key — in music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stand — to bear
  21. press — to push
  22. clip — a video
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — a sports field

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