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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: season · stick · club · lean · degree · deal · row · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — an amount
  4. season — of the year
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. degree — from a university
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — thin
  12. press — to push
  13. degree — temperature
  14. club — a group
  15. season — in sport
  16. row — a line
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — to handle
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — a publisher
  24. deal — a big deal

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