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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · band · suit · press · capital · chair

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pop — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a music group
  15. capital — a city
  16. band — a ring
  17. chair — a leader
  18. capital — money

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