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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: bay · rush · can · fan · pit · cap · press · field

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — in a race
  6. press — to push
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a hat
  9. press — newspapers
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. cap — a lid
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cap — of ice
  22. field — farmland
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. can — to be able to

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