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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: pass · press · capital · fan · bark · root · nail · shower

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. press — to push
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — rain
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — the cause
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. root — of a word
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. press — a publisher

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