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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
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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 · mouse · pit · rash · game · key · present · bore

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. present — a gift
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — in a race
  13. present — the time now
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. present — there
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. press — to push

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