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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bat — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. net — for catching
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. net — after costs
  20. chest — a box
  21. key — for a lock
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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