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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 120 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: court · rash · rock · mouse · dip · swing · press · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. swing — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. swing — in golf
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. dip — to sink
  14. court — of law
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — to play on
  21. court — for sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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