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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — to push
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. press — newspapers
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — a lid
  21. file — a line of people
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cap — of ice
  24. degree — from a university

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