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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.

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: press · saw · racket · firm · rock · fall · nail · field

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. field — a subject
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — farmland
  14. press — to push
  15. field — for sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. firm — a company

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