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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: bore · press · board · file · leaves · capital · roll · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. press — to push
  2. board — to get on
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. bore — to tire
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. roll — a list
  10. file — a document
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. capital — a city
  13. bore — to drill
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — completely
  19. file — a tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. board — a committee
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bore — gave birth
  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