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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — to push
  3. degree — temperature
  4. press — a publisher
  5. roll — a cake
  6. suit — in cards
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. club — a group
  11. degree — from a university
  12. roll — a list
  13. cap — of ice
  14. press — newspapers
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cap — a lid
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mark — a trace

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