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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. swing — to play on
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. press — to push
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — a publisher
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — all right
  13. chip — for betting
  14. branch — a division
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cap — a lid
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — to rob
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mug — a face
  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