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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — wild animals
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — an amount
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. press — to push
  23. degree — from a university
  24. date — the fruit

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