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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hand — help
  12. stock — goods
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stock — shares
  20. hand — in cards
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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