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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — after costs
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — to be able to
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — happy
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. content — the amount
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. club — a group
  16. press — to push
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. can — a tin

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