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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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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: staff · pitcher · arm · bore · press · hand · date · racket

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. hand — in cards
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — help
  21. staff — employees
  22. bore — to tire
  23. date — the fruit
  24. arm — part of the body

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