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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: stem · bass · capital · drill · press · present

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. capital — a city
  6. present — a gift
  7. drill — army training
  8. present — the time now
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — low music
  13. present — there
  14. press — to push
  15. capital — money
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bass — the instrument

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