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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cap — of ice
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — to push
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cap — a hat

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