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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a great time
  4. swing — music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. swing — in golf
  11. present — a gift
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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