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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 · deal · rock · cabinet · vault · press · season · present

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. degree — temperature
  3. present — there
  4. season — of the year
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — from a university
  12. press — to push
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rock — a stone
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. season — in sport
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rock — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — a gift
  22. degree — an amount
  23. present — the time now
  24. press — newspapers

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