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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — farmland
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. press — newspapers
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — from a university
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — to push
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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