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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
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: chair · plane · rock · object · press · foot · court · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rock — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. object — to protest
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. court — of a king
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. plane — a tool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — of law
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. court — for sport
  24. object — a thing

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