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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.

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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: net · chest · bulb · charge · land · press · degree · staff

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — from a university
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — in sport
  8. degree — an amount
  9. charge — electricity
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — ground
  13. chest — a box
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — a country
  16. chest — of your body
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — employees
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — a price
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — a stick

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