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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pass — a permit
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. press — newspapers
  11. root — the cause
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. degree — from a university
  14. press — to push
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. root — of a plant
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. jam — in traffic

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