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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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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: hide · ball · swing · pop · race · press

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. press — a publisher
  3. swing — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. press — to push
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — soda
  10. ball — a dance
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music

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