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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a hat
  4. toast — bread
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. capital — money
  9. bass — the fish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — to push
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — a city
  24. dip — to sink

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