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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. track — to keep track
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. season — of the year
  14. cap — a lid
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. race — the arms race
  17. press — a publisher
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cap — a hat
  21. race — humankind
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. track — a path
  24. race — a contest

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