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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 120 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: bore · bank · press · field · cap · mouse · arm · season

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. press — to push
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. field — for sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. season — of the year
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bore — to tire
  13. season — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. arm — part of the body
  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