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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: press · mark · bass · race · lean · racket · cabinet · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. court — of law
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. press — to push
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lean — to bend
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. court — for sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — low music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — a publisher

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