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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. capital — money
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — to eat
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chip — for betting

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