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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — to protest
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — to push
  7. net — after costs
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — from a university
  12. object — a thing
  13. band — a ring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. band — a music group
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — an aim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. degree — an amount

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