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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
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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: file · rush · pop · game · bulb · ground · press · degree

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ground — the earth
  3. degree — temperature
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — music
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — a match
  16. file — a line of people
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ground — crushed
  19. game — wild animals
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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