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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
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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: can · degree · rock · fan · march · file · board · press

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. degree — an amount
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a committee
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. march — the month
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — to be able to
  11. march — music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. file — a document
  14. degree — from a university
  15. file — a tool
  16. press — to push
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — to get on
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rock — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. press — a publisher
  24. can — a tin

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