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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. present — the time now
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — in a road
  9. object — to protest
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. object — an aim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. press — a publisher
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — there
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. press — to push
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — a gift

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