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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 120 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: degree · cap · foot · face · key · press · game · bore

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — of ice
  4. press — a publisher
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a match
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. key — in music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to point toward
  13. degree — temperature
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — the most important part
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cap — a hat
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bore — to tire
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — a lid

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