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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: press · last · cue · degree · date · current · roll · lie

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. last — final
  3. press — newspapers
  4. last — to go on
  5. current — happening now
  6. cue — a hint
  7. roll — a list
  8. press — a publisher
  9. degree — temperature
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — a signal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — to push
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — for pool
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. last — finally
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. roll — a cake

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