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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. capital — a city
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. press — to push
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. tube — a container
  10. pound — a weight
  11. key — in music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — a publisher
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. key — for a lock
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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