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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: press · fan · ground · key · dip · mine · club · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — in music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — in music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — for a lock
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — newspapers
  19. scale — size or range
  20. club — for golf
  21. ground — a position
  22. press — to push
  23. club — a group
  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