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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 116 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: cue · row · leaves · bass · object · mark · degree · press

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — the fish
  6. degree — from a university
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cue — a signal
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. press — to push
  12. row — a line
  13. degree — temperature
  14. press — a publisher
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mark — a grade
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bass — low music

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