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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — to push
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — a path
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rule — a law
  14. track — a song
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rule — government
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — an amount
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. can — to be able to
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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