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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. present — a gift
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. shower — rain
  5. press — a publisher
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. present — the time now
  8. branch — a division
  9. press — to push
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. current — of water
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. shower — to wash
  21. press — newspapers
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stand — to bear
  24. current — electric

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