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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: press · present · band · mouse · foot · ball · race · squash

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. present — there
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. race — a contest
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. band — a ring
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. foot — a measure
  12. race — the arms race
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. band — a music group
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. squash — the sport
  20. present — a gift
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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