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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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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: ball · mark · cue · toast · press · ground · mine · last

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. last — finally
  4. ground — a position
  5. last — to go on
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. toast — bread
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — for digging
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a great time
  15. last — final
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mark — a grade
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cue — a signal

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