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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — to push
  12. rash — a series
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cap — of ice

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