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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bank — of a river
  8. object — a thing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — a face
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. object — an aim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — newspapers
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pop — music
  23. press — to push
  24. saw — the tool

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