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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: mouse · can · capital · fan · pit · clip · jam · press

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pit — in a race
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. capital — a city
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. clip — to cut

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