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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.

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: ball · coach · tube · capital · press · can · wave · date

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. press — to push
  4. tube — a container
  5. press — newspapers
  6. capital — money
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ball — a dance
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — a city
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tube — the underground
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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