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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: press · bowl · cap · sharp · deal · fall · race · game

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — newspapers
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cap — a hat
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — a publisher
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. sharp — clever
  17. race — humankind
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — to handle
  22. game — a match
  23. press — to push
  24. deal — a big deal

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