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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 120 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: tear · key · can · ball · fine · press · rest · pound

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — to push
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pound — a weight
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tear — to rip
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — all right
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — a penalty

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