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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — a country
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — to come down
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. press — a publisher
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. land — ground
  12. ball — a great time
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a dance
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. field — for sport

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