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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: cap · press · board · staff · degree · fan · root · pit

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. degree — temperature
  4. press — newspapers
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — a hole
  15. staff — a stick
  16. root — of a word
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. root — the cause
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. press — to push

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