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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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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: squash · stem · snap · bulb · capital · degree · ruler · press

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. press — newspapers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — to push
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. capital — money
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to click
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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