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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: pop · field · hide · bore · key · press · scale · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pop — soda
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pop — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. key — for a lock
  7. scale — in music
  8. key — in music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — to push
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mine — for digging
  18. field — farmland
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. field — for sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bore — to tire

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