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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. degree — temperature
  3. press — to push
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — a hole
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. drill — army training
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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