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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. degree — temperature
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rule — a law
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. degree — an amount
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — government
  13. object — to protest
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bass — low music
  16. object — an aim
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. press — to push
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. present — there

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