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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 116 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
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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: squash · degree · wound · saw · bass · calf · pit · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — to push
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — newspapers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. degree — temperature
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. calf — of the leg

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