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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: mouse · press · cabinet · stem · straw · fine · rock · pitch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. press — to push
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. press — newspapers
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stem — to come from

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