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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. degree — from a university
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — steady
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. press — to push
  14. firm — a company
  15. tube — the underground
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — to handle

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