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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.

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: perch · chip · cabinet · racket · staff · press · spring · degree

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spring — the season
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — for betting
  6. staff — a stick
  7. press — to push
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. press — newspapers
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — employees
  23. degree — from a university
  24. staff — employees

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