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

Word bank: stick · rule · press · foot · capital · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. capital — money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. foot — a measure
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out

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