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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: press · stand · cue · ruler · game · hide · mouse · rock

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — a signal
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — wild animals
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cue — a hint
  21. game — a match
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. game — a kind of play

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