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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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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 · fan · coach · rock · press · drill · degree · fork

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — a stone
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. rock — music
  15. press — to push
  16. degree — an amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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