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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: key · plane · spring · ball · press · mark · pop · land

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pop — soda
  3. spring — of water
  4. press — to push
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. key — in music
  8. spring — the season
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. land — to come down
  13. pop — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — ground
  20. press — newspapers
  21. plane — a tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ball — a dance

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