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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. press — newspapers
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — tied together
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — an amount
  18. press — to push
  19. scale — in music
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — certain

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