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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: mouse · tube · cap · pass · board · content · cell · press

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. tube — the underground
  3. content — happy
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. tube — a container
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — the amount
  14. press — to push
  15. cap — of ice
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. board — to get on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pass — to spend time
  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