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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 120 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: press · capital · present · track · mug · chip · mouse · suit

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — for betting
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — to eat
  7. press — a publisher
  8. present — the time now
  9. track — to keep track
  10. capital — money
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mug — a face
  15. press — to push
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. track — a song
  18. suit — clothes
  19. capital — a city
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — a path

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