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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: press · wound · mark · mug · stick · bat · racket · sharp

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — to push
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a trace
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wound — an injury
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bat — the animal

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