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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
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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: chair · mouse · cabinet · press · mate · racket

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — to breed

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