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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — newspapers
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rest — a break
  6. press — to push
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. capital — money
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — from a university
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kick — in football

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