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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — all right
  20. current — electric
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — of water
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — happening now

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