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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. capital — a city
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — steady
  7. mate — to breed
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — a friend
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bass — low music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — to push
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mate — a partner
  21. firm — a company
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pitcher — a jug

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