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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. degree — temperature
  3. row — to paddle
  4. degree — an amount
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. scale — size or range
  9. degree — from a university
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — a line
  12. pop — to visit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — newspapers
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. press — to push
  21. deal — to handle
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pop — music
  24. row — a quarrel

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