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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 116 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spell — letters
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spell — a short time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cap — a hat
  24. capital — money

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