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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: track · fine · stick · press · season · rest · net · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — a break
  5. season — of the year
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. track — a path
  9. rest — what's left
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. net — after costs
  13. press — to push
  14. track — a song
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — all right
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — high quality
  21. season — in sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — to keep track

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