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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: pop · nail · cap · wound · press · rule · foot · cue

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. press — a publisher
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cue — for pool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pop — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — a lid
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rule — government
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cue — a signal
  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