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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — the tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — a lid
  7. court — for sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. drill — a practice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. drill — army training
  16. cap — a hat
  17. band — a music group
  18. court — of law
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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