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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. capital — money
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stand — to bear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. spell — a short time
  10. press — to push
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. capital — a city
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stand — on your feet

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