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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.

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: season · press · firm · spell · land · racket · kick · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — letters
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — magic
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — newspapers
  9. season — of the year
  10. firm — steady
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — a short time
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. season — in sport
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — a company
  21. press — to push
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. racket — a loud noise

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