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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. press — to push
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. press — newspapers
  22. key — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. content — happy

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