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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. degree — temperature
  3. land — ground
  4. degree — from a university
  5. press — a publisher
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — a country
  8. squash — to crush
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. degree — an amount
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — to push
  22. season — of the year
  23. foot — a measure
  24. squash — the sport

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