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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 · content · ball · perch · roll · capital · deal · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. content — happy
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — to handle
  6. press — newspapers
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. capital — a city
  9. press — a publisher
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. capital — money
  19. press — to push
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — a cake

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