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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.

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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: rule · tear · press · swing · racket · pitch · craft · wind

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. tear — to rip
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — a law
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. tear — from crying
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — government
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tear — from crying
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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