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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pitch — completely
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. press — to push
  21. degree — an amount
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cell — in biology

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