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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: snap · present · lie · ball · press · net · degree · racket

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. net — after costs
  3. present — there
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a dance
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — a gift
  10. press — to push
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — from a university
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — a publisher
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. degree — temperature
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. lie — to recline

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