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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — to push
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cap — a lid
  8. clip — a video
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bass — the fish
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fork — in a road
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wave — with your hand

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