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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.

Make a worksheet

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: race · date · ground · board · mine · squash · mouse · press

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. race — a contest
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. board — a committee
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. press — a publisher
  8. board — to get on
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mine — for digging
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — humankind
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ground — crushed

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