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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — to get on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. tube — the underground
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. board — a committee
  18. degree — temperature

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