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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. degree — from a university
  3. squash — to crush
  4. net — in sport
  5. squash — the sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — a weight
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. net — for catching
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. degree — temperature
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stock — goods
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — shares
  24. hide — animal skin

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