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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: foot · ball · charge · rush · degree · stand · press · race

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rush — hurry
  8. degree — temperature
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — a price
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. press — to push
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. degree — from a university
  19. press — newspapers
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. degree — an amount
  24. race — humankind

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