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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. press — newspapers
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bat — the animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. land — ground
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. land — to come down
  10. content — the amount
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — clothes
  17. content — happy
  18. capital — a city
  19. swing — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — a country
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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