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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: file · capital · date · racket · stick · face · plane · press

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. face — to confront
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a document
  8. capital — a city
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. face — to point toward
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. file — a tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. plane — a tool
  22. date — the fruit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a line of people

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