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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 120 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: key · row · pitcher · press · spring · last · firm · cabinet

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. key — for a lock
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. last — to go on
  11. firm — steady
  12. spring — a coil
  13. firm — a company
  14. last — final
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. row — to paddle
  17. firm — decided
  18. last — finally
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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