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

Word bank: pit · wound · race · deal · press · swing

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. swing — in golf
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — a publisher
  14. deal — to handle
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pit — in a race
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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