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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.

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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: drill · saw · staff · press · ball · track · pop · cell

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ball — a great time
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. staff — employees
  8. press — to push
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. drill — army training
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a dance
  20. track — a path
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — a song
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cell — in biology

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