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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: mate · press · key · rock · racket · march · spring · ball

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — a publisher
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — in music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. spring — a coil
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spring — the season
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spring — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — a partner
  21. press — newspapers
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. mate — a friend

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