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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 120 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 · ball · tube · ruler · cold · stand · mouse · cue

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — to push
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. stand — on your feet

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