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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.

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: row · mouse · mark · scale · land · chip · press · kick

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. land — ground
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — in music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. row — a line
  23. press — newspapers
  24. land — a country

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