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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. suit — to fit
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. drill — a practice
  8. key — in music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. key — the most important part
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. suit — clothes
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a committee
  16. suit — in cards
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. drill — the tool
  23. press — a publisher
  24. drill — army training

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