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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — in music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chip — to eat
  14. press — to push
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mark — to pay attention

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