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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: degree · wax · pit · row · foot · deal · press · chip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. degree — from a university
  9. row — to paddle
  10. degree — an amount
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pit — in a race
  16. degree — temperature
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — for betting
  21. row — a line
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. foot — a measure

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