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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
468
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: track · press · mine · current · bowl · degree · pass · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mine — for digging
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — from a university
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. current — electric
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pass — a permit
  15. track — a path
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. current — happening now

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