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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: press · pit · row · fine · ground · ball · chip · degree

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chip — for betting
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. press — to push
  12. fine — high quality
  13. row — a line
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ball — a great time
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — to eat
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fine — all right

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