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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.

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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. 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. press — newspapers
  2. race — humankind
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. press — a publisher
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — of ice
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — a contest
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. press — to push
  24. 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