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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: stem · kid · calf · rash · deal · key · bass · press

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rash — hasty
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bass — low music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — to handle
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. key — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kid — child

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