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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · spell · key · mate · degree · press · bowl · suit

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. mate — a friend
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pop — music
  19. key — in music
  20. press — to push
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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