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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. band — a music group
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — all right
  7. game — wild animals
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. degree — temperature
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. degree — an amount
  14. press — a publisher
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. degree — from a university
  23. press — to push
  24. game — a match

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