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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. press — to push
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — employees
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. press — a publisher

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