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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: date · mouse · roll · pitcher · nail · ground · content · press

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. press — a publisher
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — a position
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ground — the earth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. press — to push
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. roll — a list
  19. content — happy
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — the animal

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