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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: race · racket · board · foot · jam · mouse · press · club

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. club — for dancing
  10. press — newspapers
  11. foot — a measure
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. press — to push
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. mouse — the animal
  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