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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
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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: ball · chair · cold · key · track · coach · press · scale

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cold — an illness
  10. key — in music
  11. track — a song
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chair — a leader
  14. track — a path
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. scale — in music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cold — not warm
  24. track — to keep track

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