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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · toast · row · press · present · capital · track · spell

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. present — the time now
  3. track — a song
  4. toast — bread
  5. present — a gift
  6. track — a path
  7. spell — letters
  8. row — to paddle
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — there
  14. row — a line
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — magic
  20. capital — money
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — a city

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