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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 120 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
468
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: capital · charge · plane · press · bear · band · straw · court

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — a publisher
  8. court — for sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — in control
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. band — a music group
  19. press — newspapers
  20. charge — a price
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. press — to push

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