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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · straw · mine · press · swing · bowl · pit · bat

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — to push
  3. pit — in a race
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bat — the animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. swing — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mine — for digging
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bat — in an idiom

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