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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. squash — the sport
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — to crush
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — clever
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — rain
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — to push

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