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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: press · pound · key · plane · bore · jam · net · bass

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. plane — a tool
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bass — low music
  6. press — to push
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bore — to drill
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. key — in music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. press — a publisher

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