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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. vault — a safe
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — to push
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. swing — to play on
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitcher — a jug

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