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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: tube · sharp · cap · pitcher · net · press · squash · mine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. press — newspapers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — to push
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. net — after costs
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. net — for catching
  21. sharp — clever
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cap — a hat
  24. squash — the sport

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