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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — for digging
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mate — a friend
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mate — a partner
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to click

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