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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: racket · mark · swing · press · cue · capital · deal · club

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. club — for golf
  3. press — newspapers
  4. swing — music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — a publisher
  8. swing — in golf
  9. club — a group
  10. press — to push
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. swing — to play on
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mark — a trace
  18. capital — a city
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. deal — an agreement

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