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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. degree — from a university

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