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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: mine · rule · bay · press · row · band · ball · mouse

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. press — to push
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — newspapers
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rule — government
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rule — a law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. band — a ring

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