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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: cap · spring · press · bear · saw · club · fork · scale

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. club — for golf
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spring — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — in a road
  17. press — to push
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — of water
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. club — a group
  24. bear — to put up with

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