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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — of the year
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — a publisher
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — to push
  20. scale — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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