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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — to recline
  4. track — a path
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. press — a publisher
  12. track — a song
  13. march — music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — music
  20. present — there
  21. march — the month
  22. press — to push
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. swing — to play on

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