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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bound — tied together
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pit — in a race
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cold — not warm
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. press — to push
  24. current — electric

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