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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — to push
  9. dip — to sink
  10. press — a publisher
  11. roll — a list
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — the underground
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. roll — a cake
  24. perch — the fish

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