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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 116 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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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: kid · chair · ball · bear · tube · bound · press · racket

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chair — a leader
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ball — a dance
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. kid — child
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — tied together
  19. press — to push
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — certain

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