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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. press — a publisher
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. press — newspapers
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — in music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. press — to push
  24. fork — a garden tool

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