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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: fan · capital · board · root · press · mug · pitch · rock

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — a stone
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mug — a face
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — a city
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. root — of a word
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. board — a committee
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. capital — money
  24. mug — to rob

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