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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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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: deal · press · foot · track · lie · racket · perch · pit

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lie — to recline
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — to push
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. press — a publisher
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. track — a path
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — the fish
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. track — a song
  24. deal — an agreement

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