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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: plane · pit · cue · racket · kick · press

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — a tool
  9. press — to push
  10. pit — a hole
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — a hint
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — in a race

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