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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: press · board · bat · wake · bore · cap · bear · pitcher

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bat — the animal
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cap — of ice
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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