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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.

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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — newspapers
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cue — a hint
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — for pool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — a company
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. firm — decided
  24. press — to push

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