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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — a lid
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. clip — a video
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — newspapers
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. press — a publisher
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. clip — for paper
  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