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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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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: clip · bay · jam · press · bear · root · degree · suit

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — of a plant
  8. degree — an amount
  9. press — to push
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. suit — clothes
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. root — of a word
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. clip — a video
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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