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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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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: race · racket · swing · mark · stem · tube · firm · press

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. swing — in golf
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. firm — steady
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. race — the arms race
  10. firm — decided
  11. mark — a grade
  12. race — humankind
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. swing — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stem — to come from

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