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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — a thing
  5. degree — temperature
  6. object — an aim
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — an amount
  11. toast — bread
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — to protest
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — high quality
  19. press — a publisher
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — a short time
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — from a university

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