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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. shower — rain
  4. capital — a city
  5. present — the time now
  6. can — a tin
  7. roll — a list
  8. capital — money
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. can — to be able to
  13. present — a gift
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — there
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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