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

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — the arms race
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — a friend
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. press — newspapers
  14. perch — the fish
  15. race — a contest
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. racket — a loud noise

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