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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — to get on
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spell — a short time
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pit — in a race
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — letters
  16. press — newspapers
  17. drill — army training
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — a hole
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spell — magic
  24. saw — the tool

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