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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. chip — for betting
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. press — newspapers
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. press — to push
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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