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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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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: fall · can · toast · capital · foot · press · prune · pit

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pit — in a race
  6. capital — a city
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. foot — a measure
  10. press — to push
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. can — to be able to
  14. press — newspapers
  15. can — a tin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — the season

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