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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · club · degree · snap · dip · pit

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. press — newspapers
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pit — in a race
  6. dip — to sink
  7. degree — an amount
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. press — to push
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. degree — from a university
  12. press — a publisher
  13. snap — to click
  14. club — for golf
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. club — a group
  18. dip — a sauce

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