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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bark — to shout
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bank — for money
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. capital — a city
  23. press — to push
  24. pass — to succeed

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