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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: racket · bound · cue · press · jam · hand · craft · mouse

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cue — a signal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. press — to push
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. craft — boats
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hand — help
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. press — newspapers

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