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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
468
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: fine · firm · racket · roll · rush · land · press · march

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. land — ground
  3. roll — a cake
  4. firm — a company
  5. press — a publisher
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. land — a country
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. march — the month
  19. roll — a list
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — high quality
  22. march — music
  23. press — to push
  24. racket — a loud noise

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