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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 · press · bowl · row · mate · nail · toast · last

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. last — final
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — finally
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. last — to go on
  17. mate — to breed
  18. row — a line
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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