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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. net — for catching
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — low music
  14. press — to push
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. net — in sport
  18. kick — in football
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cap — a lid
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — after costs
  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