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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cue — a hint
  8. capital — a city
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cue — for pool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to click
  18. cap — a hat
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cap — of ice
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. press — to push

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