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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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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: kick · stick · racket · rash · pit · press · foot · net

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. net — after costs
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rash — a series
  14. net — in sport
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pit — in a race
  18. press — to push
  19. kick — in football
  20. net — for catching
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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