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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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Word bank
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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. press — to push
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ground — the earth
  20. spell — letters
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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