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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · season · press · clip · cue · pit · net · bass

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. clip — a video
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. clip — for paper
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — of the year
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — in sport
  16. clip — to cut
  17. net — after costs
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the fish
  20. net — for catching
  21. season — in sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pit — in a race

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