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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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Word bank
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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: degree · lean · foot · bowl · deal · press

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. press — to push
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. degree — an amount
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lean — thin

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