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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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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: press · stick · bat · pass · fall · key · foot · bowl

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — a publisher
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — a permit
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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