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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · press · cap · bulb · arm · cabinet · mouse · board

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. press — to push
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — a subject
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cap — a hat

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