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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cap — a hat
  6. season — of the year
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — in music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. key — the most important part
  18. press — to push
  19. board — to get on
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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