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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: nail · key · sharp · press · field · bass · swing · kid

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kid — to tease
  7. field — a subject
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. key — in music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — clever
  19. swing — in golf
  20. field — farmland
  21. swing — to play on
  22. kid — child
  23. field — for sport
  24. sharp — with an edge

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