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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 · suit · file · present · capital · saw · mouse · prune

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. press — to push
  3. present — there
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a document
  8. suit — to fit
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. capital — money
  11. suit — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. present — the time now
  14. file — a line of people
  15. press — newspapers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. capital — a city
  24. file — a tool

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