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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. file — a document
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cue — a hint

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