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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: press · fan · stock · stand · racket · mouse · scale · band

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stock — goods
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a music group
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — in music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — shares
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fan — a supporter

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