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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: racket · stick · press · pop · kid · fork

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pop — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — to tease
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — to push
  13. kid — child
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — soda

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