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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — to confront
  10. suit — in cards
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. suit — clothes
  17. capital — money
  18. pop — soda
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stock — shares
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — to point toward

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