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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cell — in biology
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. press — to push
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fork — in a road
  16. degree — temperature
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — a committee
  24. cell — a phone

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