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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
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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: game · mouse · cabinet · chip · press · patient · perch · ruler

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — to push
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. game — wild animals
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — for a bird

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