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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ground — crushed
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. ground — a position
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — in sport
  17. press — to push
  18. season — of the year
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. key — the most important part

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