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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: saw · press · sharp · cap · clip · chip · leaves · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — to eat
  13. clip — for paper
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chip — for betting
  19. press — a publisher
  20. clip — a video
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. clip — to cut
  23. capital — a city
  24. leaves — lets stay

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