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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: deal · mouse · drill · press · mark · toast · capital · racket

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. capital — money
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. capital — a city
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. press — to push
  17. drill — the tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. toast — bread

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