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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: race · last · bass · racket · suit · kick · press · file

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. last — to go on
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — low music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — a contest
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — final
  19. press — to push
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — finally
  23. suit — in cards
  24. race — humankind

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