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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. root — the cause
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. root — of a word
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cold — not warm
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — newspapers
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — a face
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stand — to bear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to succeed

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