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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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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cap — of ice
  6. club — for golf
  7. cap — a hat
  8. press — to push
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. net — for catching
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — in sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. club — a group
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mug — a face
  22. club — for dancing
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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