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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cap — of ice
  6. track — a song
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — a group
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. press — to push
  14. club — for dancing
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. club — for golf
  18. cap — a hat
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — to keep track
  24. racket — a loud noise

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