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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: press · drill · race · stick · calf · bat · season · cue

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. season — in sport
  8. bat — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. cue — for pool
  11. press — to push
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. press — a publisher
  15. drill — the tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — a signal
  18. race — humankind
  19. cue — a hint
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — a contest

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