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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: mug · capital · dip · mouse · press · craft · jam · degree

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. press — to push
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — to sink
  8. craft — a skill
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. degree — from a university
  11. capital — money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. capital — a city
  16. mug — to rob
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mouse — the animal

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