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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: race · press · roll · jam · kick · deal

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. race — humankind
  2. roll — a cake
  3. race — the arms race
  4. press — to push
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. race — a contest
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. press — a publisher
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kick — in football
  16. deal — to handle
  17. press — newspapers
  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