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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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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: cap · press · pop · board · file · trunk · bay · pitch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cap — a lid
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cap — a hat
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. press — newspapers
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. board — to get on
  18. pop — soda
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pop — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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