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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — finally
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. last — final
  13. tube — a container
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. last — to go on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cap — a hat
  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