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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. press — a publisher
  3. court — for sport
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cap — a hat
  9. firm — a company
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — an aim
  12. court — of a king
  13. press — to push
  14. court — of law
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — a lid
  18. object — a thing
  19. firm — steady
  20. cap — of ice
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wax — to grow

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