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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 120 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: content · key · mate · bowl · ball · bat · press · row

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mate — a friend
  5. key — in music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. press — to push
  20. mate — to breed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. row — a line
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. content — videos and posts

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