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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 help me carry this box?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mine — for digging
  4. race — a contest
  5. degree — an amount
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fine — all right
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — to push
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — a tin
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fine — high quality
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. can — a tin
  23. race — humankind
  24. press — a publisher

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