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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: season · deal · capital · dip · trunk · fine · press · file

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — of the year
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. press — to push
  6. fine — all right
  7. file — a document
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. dip — to sink
  11. capital — a city
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — money
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. season — in sport

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