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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 · drill · bat · wind · stock · press · pound · coach

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — to push
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stock — shares
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — 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