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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. degree — an amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. last — to go on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. roll — a list
  21. press — to push
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — a publisher
  24. last — final

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