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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to click
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — soda
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — an amount
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — to push
  18. pop — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ground — a position
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pop — to visit

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