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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a face
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — a container
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cap — a hat
  9. degree — temperature
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mug — to rob
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — newspapers

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