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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. season — of the year
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. degree — temperature
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — in music
  13. press — to push
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bore — to tire
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. press — a publisher

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