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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — to handle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. temple — a place of worship

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