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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. present — the time now
  3. tube — the underground
  4. net — in sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — a measure
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. net — after costs
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — for catching
  16. press — newspapers
  17. present — there
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. press — to push

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