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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. season — of the year
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — in sport
  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