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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 120 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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. key — the most important part
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pop — music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. press — to push
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. trunk — of a car

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