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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: racket · bore · bat · rock · snap · content · press · pass

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. content — the amount
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bat — the animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to click
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — happy
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bore — to drill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — to move gently

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