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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: wake · cap · pitcher · scale · hand · press · racket · spell

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hand — in cards
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. scale — in music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spell — a short time
  23. press — to push
  24. hand — part of the body

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