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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cue — a hint
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — a gift
  10. key — in music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. present — the time now
  14. toast — bread
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. press — a publisher
  18. key — the most important part
  19. content — happy
  20. press — to push
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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