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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · row · press · date · racket · nail · spring · hand

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a dance
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. press — newspapers
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spring — a coil
  17. press — a publisher
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. spring — the season
  20. hand — help
  21. press — to push
  22. row — a line
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ball — a great time

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