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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 116 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 · race · drill · press · suit · court

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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. drill — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — of law
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — to push
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — army training
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — animal skin

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