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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: racket · press · date · cap · fan · season · fork · spell

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. press — to push
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — of the year
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — magic
  24. date — the fruit

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