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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
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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 · row · cap · key · pass · firm · season · swing

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. swing — to play on
  3. row — a line
  4. cap — of ice
  5. swing — in golf
  6. season — in sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — music
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — a publisher
  19. key — the most important part
  20. press — newspapers
  21. firm — a company
  22. row — to paddle
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. press — to push

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