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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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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 · press · club · mate · arm · drill · bay · race

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. race — a contest
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. race — the arms race
  10. club — a group
  11. press — to push
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — humankind
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mate — a partner
  20. club — for dancing
  21. drill — army training
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mate — a friend
  24. arm — a part of something

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