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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: cue · press · content · wave · last · key · saw · club

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — the most important part
  4. club — for dancing
  5. press — to push
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. content — happy
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. club — a group
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. last — finally
  18. key — for a lock
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cue — for pool
  21. club — for golf
  22. saw — the tool
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wave — of the sea

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