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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mark — a trace
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mark — a grade
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — from a university
  13. kid — to tease
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. kid — child
  17. march — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — the underground
  22. squash — to crush
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — to push

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