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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: press · fine · mug · dip · coach · date · foot · degree

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — to rob
  4. dip — to sink
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. mug — a cup
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — the fruit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fine — all right
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fine — high quality
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mug — a face
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. press — newspapers

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