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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 · pound · ball · press · calf · stock · leaves · pass

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. stock — shares
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — to push
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ball — a great time
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stock — a soup base
  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