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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — to drill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — a path
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. net — after costs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. press — to push
  17. wind — moving air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. track — a song

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