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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — a country
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — newspapers
  11. degree — temperature
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — ground
  17. degree — from a university
  18. root — of a word
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — a price
  21. root — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — to push
  24. nail — for a hammer

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