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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: mouse · bear · pop · wound · racket · degree · season · press

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pop — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pop — soda
  16. season — in sport
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — to visit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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