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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 · pit · jam · stand · roll · wake · track · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pit — in a race
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — a song
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. roll — a cake
  11. press — to push
  12. pit — a hole
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — a list
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — a trail
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — to bear

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