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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — to play on
  3. net — in sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. snap — to click
  7. net — after costs
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rest — a break
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — humankind
  16. rest — what's left
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — for catching
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. press — to push
  24. stem — of a plant

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