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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lean — thin
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — all right
  7. rock — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. press — to push
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rest — a break
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bat — the animal
  19. degree — temperature
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — employees
  24. degree — from a university

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