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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: chip · press · chest · ruler · mouse · net

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. net — in sport
  4. chest — a box
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. net — after costs
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. press — to push
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chest — of your body
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — a monarch

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