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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. suit — clothes
  3. kid — child
  4. press — to push
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — for sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — temperature
  11. field — a subject
  12. suit — in cards
  13. can — to be able to
  14. degree — from a university
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — farmland
  18. degree — an amount
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kid — to tease
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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