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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. toast — bread
  6. ball — a great time
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. press — newspapers

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