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

Word bank: pitch · dip · calf · cell · bass · straw · press · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bass — the fish
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. dip — to sink
  14. press — a publisher
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — to push
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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