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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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · file · mouse · roll · court · pit · degree · mug

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mug — a face
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. file — a tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. degree — from a university
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. roll — a list
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. court — of law
  19. press — to push
  20. mug — to rob
  21. court — for sport
  22. file — a document
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mouse — for a computer

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