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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
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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 · race · cap · scale · cue · calf · hide · stock

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — for pool
  5. race — a contest
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cap — of ice
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — to push
  18. stock — shares
  19. race — the arms race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. calf — a young animal

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