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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 120 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: press · board · land · root · hide · current · degree · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — temperature
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. root — of a plant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — from a university
  12. land — ground
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. press — to push
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. root — of a word
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — the cause
  21. land — a country
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — to come down
  24. press — a publisher

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