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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: pop · mouse · stock · nail · mine · racket · press · rash

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stock — shares
  5. press — to push
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — newspapers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. press — a publisher

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