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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a match
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cap — of ice
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — a trace
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — ministers

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