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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: mark · press · fan · last · bat · pit · court · club

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — the animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — in a race
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mark — a trace
  14. court — of a king
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. last — final
  18. press — to push
  19. court — of law
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — for sport

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