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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
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: press · stick · track · file · key · bat · season · degree

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. season — in sport
  4. file — a line of people
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a song
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a tool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — temperature
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. track — a path
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. key — the most important part
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — a publisher
  24. key — for a lock

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