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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — to push
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. object — to protest
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. degree — from a university
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. press — newspapers
  14. degree — an amount
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. object — a thing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. object — an aim
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. degree — temperature
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitch — completely

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