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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: racket · rule · fine · kick · press · wave

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kick — in football
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rule — a law
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rule — government
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  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