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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · can · press · mouse · mine · pound · temple · racket

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. press — newspapers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stand — to bear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. racket — for tennis

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