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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 · can · press · mine · racket · mate · bound · chest

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. mine — for digging
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. game — a match
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — to push
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chest — a box
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  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