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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: straw · capital · press · firm · craft · cue

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. craft — boats
  3. firm — decided
  4. capital — money
  5. cue — a hint
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. press — to push
  8. cue — for pool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. firm — steady
  11. capital — a city
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — a company
  18. cue — a signal

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