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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. race — a contest
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fall — the season
  11. press — newspapers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. press — a publisher
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — in music
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — to push
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cap — a lid
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ball — a round shape

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