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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · tube · degree · press · row · staff · chip · craft

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — newspapers
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. degree — an amount
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. degree — temperature
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. foot — a measure
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — the underground
  22. craft — boats
  23. chip — to eat
  24. degree — from a university

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