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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rash — a series
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rock — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rule — government
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — a stone
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — for tennis

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