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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the sport
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. net — in sport
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — to crush
  15. net — for catching
  16. press — a publisher
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fine — high quality

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