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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: fan · ground · press · key · scale · kid · jam · bulb

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. press — a publisher
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. press — newspapers
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — the earth
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kid — to tease
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. kid — child
  19. key — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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