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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: press · capital · cabinet · pitcher · fine · cue · pit · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. capital — money
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — a city
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — to push
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — all right
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — a publisher

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