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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a line of people
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. press — to push
  12. tube — a container
  13. degree — an amount
  14. press — a publisher
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. band — a ring
  18. file — a document
  19. degree — from a university
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. file — a tool
  24. pit — in a race

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