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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. net — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. race — humankind
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — after costs
  14. race — a contest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pitch — completely
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — the arms race
  24. net — for catching

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