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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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Word bank
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kid — child
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tube — the underground
  16. present — a gift
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wake — a trail
  22. present — there
  23. press — to push
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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