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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. land — ground
  3. press — to push
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — newspapers
  13. race — a contest
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — in music
  16. staff — a stick
  17. race — the arms race
  18. board — to get on
  19. cap — a hat
  20. land — to come down
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — humankind
  23. staff — employees
  24. land — a country

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