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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chest — a box
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — all right
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. season — of the year
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fine — high quality

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