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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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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. degree — temperature
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — a publisher
  5. degree — from a university
  6. firm — a company
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. degree — an amount
  12. firm — steady
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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