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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: ball · mouse · game · press · chest · firm · row · tube

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chest — of your body
  13. game — a match
  14. chest — a box
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — to push
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — a container
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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