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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. race — the arms race
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. race — humankind
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — of a river
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. bank — for money
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — in golf
  24. game — a kind of play

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