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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: bark · season · press · ground · cap · dip · racket · jam

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — to push
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bark — to shout
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — newspapers
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ground — a position
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cap — of ice
  23. season — in sport
  24. dip — a sauce

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