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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rock — music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. row — a line
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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