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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: key · cap · press · cold · firm · sharp · deal · can

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — clever
  3. key — for a lock
  4. cold — an illness
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cap — of ice
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. firm — decided
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cap — a hat
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. can — a tin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. key — in music
  24. press — to push

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