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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: mouse · rush · kid · press · mark · stock · stem · band

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a ring
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — shares
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. press — a publisher
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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