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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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468
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: mine · racket · bear · kid · safe · press · rush · pitch

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kid — to tease
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kid — child
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. safe — a strongbox

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