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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: foot · stand · spring · press · wound · chip · capital · perch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wound — an injury
  8. capital — money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spring — of water
  14. press — to push
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. foot — a measure
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. capital — a city
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — the bottom

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