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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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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: track · press · staff · roll · cap · cabinet · shower · ground

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. press — to push
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — employees
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. shower — rain
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  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