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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — for catching
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a face
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — after costs
  9. band — a ring
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — newspapers
  13. band — a music group
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. object — a thing
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mug — a cup

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