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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. degree — temperature
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chip — for betting
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. press — to push
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chip — to eat
  23. degree — from a university
  24. dip — to dunk

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