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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: saw · key · pitcher · press · fan · squash · bass · land

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. press — a publisher
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. press — to push
  22. squash — to crush
  23. key — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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