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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. press — newspapers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. swing — music
  13. march — the month
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. swing — in golf
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. press — a publisher

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