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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.

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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. race — a contest
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — an amount
  6. can — to be able to
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — to push
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. current — happening now
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — electric
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a great time
  20. press — a publisher
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. degree — from a university
  24. press — newspapers

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