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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — in control
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. degree — temperature
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. press — to push
  22. deal — to handle
  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