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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — a hat
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. swing — to play on
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. press — to push
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a lid
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — the tool

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