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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: degree · key · stick · ruler · stem · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. key — in music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — to come from
  10. degree — from a university
  11. key — the most important part
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. degree — an amount

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