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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bound — certain
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ball — a great time
  8. row — a line
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — tied together

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