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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. charge — a price
  3. date — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — from a university
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cue — for pool
  21. charge — in control
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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