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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — a publisher
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. race — the arms race
  12. firm — steady
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — humankind
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. clip — a video
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. race — a contest
  23. bore — to tire
  24. firm — decided

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