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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. swing — music
  3. race — a contest
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — to push
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. swing — in golf
  9. foot — a measure
  10. last — final
  11. present — there
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. last — to go on
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. race — the arms race
  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