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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: ball · face · press · object · racket · season · fine · hand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — to protest
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to point toward
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. face — part of the head
  9. press — to push
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fine — all right
  14. press — newspapers
  15. object — an aim
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hand — help
  18. ball — a dance
  19. season — in sport
  20. face — to confront
  21. season — of the year
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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