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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
468
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: date · press · key · cell · ball · mark · bore · land

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — the most important part
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cell — in biology
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bore — to drill
  23. press — to push
  24. ball — a great time

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