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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. track — to keep track
  8. press — newspapers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — a song
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — a publisher
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. track — a path

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