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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. firm — a company
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. press — newspapers
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — a permit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. press — a publisher
  13. firm — steady
  14. net — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. capital — a city
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. can — a tin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — money
  24. can — to be able to

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