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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
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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: hide · date · rest · ball · nail · pitcher · march · press

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. press — to push
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. ball — a great time

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