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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — size or range
  4. key — in music
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ground — crushed
  10. charge — a price
  11. ground — the earth
  12. craft — boats
  13. scale — in music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. press — newspapers
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. charge — in control
  19. ground — a position
  20. press — a publisher
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — for a lock

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