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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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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: lie · game · last · swing · cue · press · racket · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. press — newspapers
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — to go on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — a signal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. last — final
  23. cue — for pool
  24. swing — music

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