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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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468
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. season — in sport
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — of the year
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — to push
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rest — a break
  23. race — humankind
  24. object — to protest

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