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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wake — a trail
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cue — for pool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. net — in sport
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fan — a supporter

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