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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mouse · kick · cold · prune · ball · press · roll · bass

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — to push
  7. kick — in football
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. roll — a list
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the fish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cold — not warm
  24. kick — with a leg

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