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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 · fine · press · pound · content · stick

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — happy
  7. fine — all right
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. press — to push
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fine — high quality
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — a publisher
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — newspapers

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