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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
468
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 · cap · net · squash · pitch · bore · wound · mouse

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — in sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a hat
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cap — of ice

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