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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 120 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 · racket · fine · chip · degree · lean · fan · bark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chip — to eat
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. chip — for betting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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