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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 116 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: race · squash · racket · staff · bore · chair · press · fine

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a leader
  5. press — to push
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — humankind
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — a stick
  24. squash — to crush

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