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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.

Make a worksheet

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: toast · game · press · saw · can · fall · capital · perch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — a city
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. capital — money
  9. press — newspapers
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. fall — the season
  13. press — a publisher
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — bread
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. game — a match
  21. can — to be able to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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