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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: object · key · mine · net · hide · press · ground · tube

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — after costs
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. key — in music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — to protest
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — an aim
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — to push
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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