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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. press — newspapers
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stand — to bear
  7. press — to push
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rash — a series
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rash — hasty

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