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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — to push
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — to crush
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bound — obliged
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ball — a great time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — newspapers

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