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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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Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. press — newspapers
  6. degree — an amount
  7. spring — a coil
  8. court — of law
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — for sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of a king
  15. degree — temperature
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spring — of water
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. press — to push
  20. degree — from a university
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — the season
  24. face — to confront

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