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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — in music
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. key — for a lock

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