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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: capital · deal · scale · spell · tube · fan · bore · press

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. press — to push
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bore — to tire
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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