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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: pound · mug · ground · press · cue · object · racket · wind

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — to push
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ground — a position
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — a publisher
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ground — crushed
  16. press — newspapers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cue — a hint
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. racket — for tennis

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