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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — thin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — to bend
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — a weight
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a music group
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. date — the fruit

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