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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stand — to bear
  5. degree — an amount
  6. current — happening now
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. degree — from a university
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kid — child
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. press — newspapers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — electric
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. current — of water

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