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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. degree — from a university
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — to bend
  9. degree — an amount
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bound — tied together
  23. press — to push
  24. bound — certain

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