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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.

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: capital · press · racket · coach · field · fall · cabinet · stem

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. press — a publisher
  11. capital — money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — a subject
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. racket — for tennis

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