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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
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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: leaves · mug · press · stock · capital · sharp · pop · swing

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. capital — a city
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — to push
  16. pop — music
  17. capital — money
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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