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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: drill · jam · court · mouse · arm · bore · press · snap

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. press — to push
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — a practice
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. court — of law
  11. bore — to tire
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. snap — to click
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bore — to drill
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. drill — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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