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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: suit · racket · wind · press · degree · key · pit · board

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pit — in a race
  3. press — a publisher
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — a committee
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. press — to push
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — to get on
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — the most important part
  22. suit — to fit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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