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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: jam · nail · tube · key · bay · court · leaves · press

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. tube — a container
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — for sport
  10. press — newspapers
  11. court — of a king
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. key — the most important part
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. court — of law
  24. jam — in traffic

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