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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bat — the animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. kick — in football
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. press — to push
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ball — a dance
  24. key — in music

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