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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. press — to push
  3. bat — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. press — newspapers
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. race — a contest
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. present — a gift
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — a match
  18. present — the time now
  19. board — a committee
  20. pass — a permit
  21. present — there
  22. board — to get on
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. press — a publisher

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