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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: press · race · game · pitcher · tube · stick · racket · court

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. court — of law
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tube — a container
  8. press — a publisher
  9. game — wild animals
  10. press — newspapers
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — of a king
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. race — humankind
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. tube — the underground
  24. game — a match

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