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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. press — to push
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rash — hasty
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — a hole
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ball — a dance
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rash — a series
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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