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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — a thing
  5. degree — from a university
  6. object — an aim
  7. key — the most important part
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — temperature
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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