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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 124 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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Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. press — to push
  5. rule — government
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — newspapers
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rest — a break
  15. press — a publisher
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — a law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. march — music
  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