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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. rush — hurry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pass — a permit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. club — for dancing

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