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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fall — the season
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. press — a publisher
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. scale — in music
  17. rock — music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — to push
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — a hat
  24. coach — a trainer

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