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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. net — for catching
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cap — of ice
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. fine — all right
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — ground
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cap — a hat
  22. land — a country
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — a football final

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