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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: straw · press · bowl · degree · firm · cabinet

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. firm — decided
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. degree — an amount
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — a company
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. press — newspapers
  14. degree — from a university
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. firm — steady
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish

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