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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 · kid · club · roll · snap · race · season · press

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. kid — to tease
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. season — in sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. race — humankind
  9. club — for dancing
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. race — a contest
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — for golf
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. club — a group
  20. kid — child
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. snap — to click
  23. season — of the year
  24. race — the arms race

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