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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mug — to rob
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cap — a hat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — in music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mug — a face
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — letters
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. mug — a cup

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