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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 120 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: mouse · press · net · kick · sharp · track · bear · bat

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. press — a publisher
  15. track — a song
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — the 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