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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — for pool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — child
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. press — to push
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cue — a signal
  24. press — newspapers

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