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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. press — to push
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — temperature
  6. track — a song
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — from a university
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — to keep track
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ball — a dance
  23. scale — in music
  24. shower — rain

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