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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.

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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 · present · bore · capital · suit · board

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. present — there
  6. capital — money
  7. bore — to tire
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — a publisher
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — a gift
  15. bore — to drill
  16. press — to push
  17. board — a committee
  18. present — the time now

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