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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: game · bowl · lean · cap · key · press · net · stand

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lean — thin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — for catching
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. press — newspapers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cap — a hat
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. key — in music
  24. net — in sport

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