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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: mouse · stock · arm · bank · content · racket · press · clip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. content — happy
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — the amount
  13. bank — of a river
  14. clip — a video
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. clip — to cut
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. racket — a loud noise

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