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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: press · mouse · jam · calf · board · band · game · bore

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. press — to push
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. game — a match
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. press — a publisher
  13. band — a music group
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — to get on
  22. press — newspapers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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