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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. kid — child
  2. pop — music
  3. kick — in football
  4. kid — to tease
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pop — soda
  8. press — to push
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — to handle
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — to visit
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. press — newspapers
  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