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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rush — hurry
  3. board — a committee
  4. band — a music group
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — a tin
  13. press — to push
  14. can — to be able to
  15. board — to get on
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. press — newspapers
  20. band — a ring
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — for a computer

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