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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: cue · press · land · cold · mouse · track · tear · pit

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — ground
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. land — a country
  9. tear — from crying
  10. land — to come down
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. track — a song
  24. tear — from crying

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