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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — in music
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — to roll

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