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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: row · fine · key · press · net · court · jam · scale

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. net — for catching
  4. press — newspapers
  5. court — for sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. court — of a king
  8. press — a publisher
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — in music
  11. press — to push
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. scale — size or range
  14. key — for a lock
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. court — of law
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — all right
  23. net — after costs
  24. key — the most important part

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