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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: stick · staff · bank · rush · pitcher · capital · firm · press

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rush — hurry
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — to push
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — of a river
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — a city
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — money
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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