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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 116 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: press · snap · court · pop · rest · ground · sharp · key

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — a position
  3. court — for sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — a break
  7. press — a publisher
  8. snap — to click
  9. ground — the earth
  10. press — to push
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. court — of a king
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — in music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pop — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. court — of law
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — what's left

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