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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — after costs
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. swing — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — to push
  14. swing — in golf
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — to play on
  17. net — in sport
  18. row — a line
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. press — newspapers
  24. charge — a price

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