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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. date — the fruit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — to push
  5. chip — to eat
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. swing — music
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — a publisher
  14. swing — to play on
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — newspapers
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chip — for betting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. court — of law
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — a horse colour

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