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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · key · tear · temple · press · field · bass · pitcher

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bass — low music
  4. field — for sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — a trace
  7. press — a publisher
  8. field — farmland
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. press — to push
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — for a lock
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. key — in music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. field — a subject
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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