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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: nail · stick · bear · wake · bowl · press · kick · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kick — in football
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wake — a trail
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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