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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. perch — the fish
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. race — a contest
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. race — the arms race

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