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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: press · row · pitcher · degree · bay · fan · dip · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. mug — a cup
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a line
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mug — a face
  11. press — a publisher
  12. degree — temperature
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. press — to push
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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