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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: craft · roll · foot · track · tube · pass · press · capital

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tube — a container
  3. track — a path
  4. capital — money
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — the underground
  8. capital — a city
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — boats
  14. roll — a cake
  15. track — a song
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — a measure
  18. press — to push
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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