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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: press · chest · pass · racket · track · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — in football
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. track — a path

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