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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.

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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: rest · bowl · board · degree · firm · object · cabinet · press

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — to push
  4. board — a committee
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rest — a break
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. object — a thing
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. degree — from a university
  13. firm — decided
  14. object — to protest
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. firm — steady
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — a company
  24. object — an aim

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