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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. swing — music
  6. object — an aim
  7. tube — a container
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — the underground
  12. last — to go on
  13. press — a publisher
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. swing — in golf
  19. last — final
  20. object — a thing
  21. last — finally
  22. press — newspapers
  23. object — to protest
  24. stand — to bear

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