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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. saw — the tool
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — to push
  9. club — a group
  10. degree — from a university
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. degree — temperature
  13. club — for golf
  14. suit — to fit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — for dancing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — a publisher
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. press — newspapers
  24. toast — the most admired

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