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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.

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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: race · bear · staff · drill · sharp · ground · press · key

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. press — a publisher
  4. drill — army training
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — the earth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. key — for a lock
  15. sharp — clever
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — humankind
  18. key — in music
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — crushed
  21. press — newspapers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ground — a position

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