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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: rock · leaves · fan · capital · bat · toast · firm · press

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — a company
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. firm — decided
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. firm — steady
  19. toast — bread
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. press — a publisher
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bat — the animal
  24. capital — money

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