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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. row — a line
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — to push
  7. season — of the year
  8. swing — music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. swing — to play on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. season — in sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cap — a lid
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — of ice
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — to pay attention

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