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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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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: stand · capital · toast · press · pass · jam · bay · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — newspapers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stand — to bear
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pass — a permit
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. toast — bread
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — money
  24. prune — to trim

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