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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: fine · racket · tear · press · fork · roll · hand · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — help
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tear — from crying
  14. roll — a list
  15. tear — from crying
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fork — in a road
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fine — all right

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