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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 120 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: mouse · pitcher · row · file · press · kid · stock · foot

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. kid — child
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. press — to push
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — goods
  23. foot — a measure
  24. row — a line

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