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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fall — the season
  4. scale — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cap — a lid
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fine — all right
  11. cap — of ice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — to push
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — a line
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fine — high quality
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fine — a penalty

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