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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 120 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. press — to push
  4. degree — an amount
  5. land — ground
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. degree — temperature
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rule — government
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — a law
  24. deal — to handle

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