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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: bore · mouse · cue · press · jam · racket · shower · court

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cue — for pool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cue — a hint
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. court — of a king

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