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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · stick · press · cell · racket · kick

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kick — in football
  12. cell — in biology
  13. date — the fruit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — a thrill

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