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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: pit · capital · row · craft · pop · press · perch · mark

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. row — a line
  4. craft — a skill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. capital — a city
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pop — music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — to push
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — a publisher
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pop — soda
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — a trace
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pit — a hole
  24. row — to paddle

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