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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. saw — the tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. track — to keep track
  6. craft — a skill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a path
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. press — a publisher
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — boats
  20. pass — a permit
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. press — to push
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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