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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: racket · stick · press · pop · kid · fork · race · hide

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — humankind
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. kid — to tease
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. press — a publisher
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. kid — child

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