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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 · jam · chair · cap · press · spell · tear · bat

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — magic
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bat — the animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — of ice
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spell — letters
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — to push
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cap — a lid
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chair — a leader
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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