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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. firm — decided
  3. degree — an amount
  4. toast — bread
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. firm — steady
  10. capital — money
  11. bass — the fish
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pass — a permit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. degree — temperature
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. capital — a city
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bass — low music
  24. firm — a company

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