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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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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. press — a publisher
  7. capital — money
  8. current — electric
  9. press — to push
  10. toast — bread
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. current — happening now
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bear — the animal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rest — a break
  24. dip — a sauce

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