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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
468
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: mate · capital · present · land · stand · firm · mouse · press

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — to bear
  4. land — a country
  5. present — the time now
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. land — to come down
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mate — a partner
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. capital — money
  14. firm — decided
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. present — there
  17. firm — a company
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. land — ground
  21. mate — to breed
  22. firm — steady
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mouse — the animal

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