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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — the most important part
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — in music
  18. field — a subject
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — for sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — the fish

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