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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · cell · straw · capital · date · current

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. capital — a city
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. press — a publisher
  9. current — of water
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. date — the fruit
  13. capital — money
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. press — to push
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a big letter

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