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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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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: degree · chair · press · bass · mark · cap · can · wind

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — to be able to
  8. press — to push
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — low music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. can — a tin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chair — a leader
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chair — a professorship

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