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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 124 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. press — to push
  6. degree — from a university
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rule — government
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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