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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 120 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: calf · racket · bat · suit · press · pound · arm · file

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. file — a line of people
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. file — a document
  9. press — a publisher
  10. suit — clothes
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pound — a weight
  21. suit — to fit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. press — newspapers
  24. arm — a part of something

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