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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · season · club · racket · press · ball

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. key — the most important part
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. club — a group
  6. ball — a great time
  7. season — in sport
  8. press — newspapers
  9. club — for dancing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — to push
  12. club — for golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ball — a dance
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music

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