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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: capital · pop · suit · row · net · toast · pass · press

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. suit — to fit
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — in cards
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. capital — a city
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — to push
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. net — for catching
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — after costs
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — in sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pop — soda

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