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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. degree — temperature
  6. press — to push
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. drill — a practice
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — low music
  18. swing — music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bank — of a river
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. drill — army training

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